Google may be testing replacing local pack at the top of the Google Search results for "near me" related queries with an AI Overview. So instead of showing a map and the three or so local listings, Google is showing an AI Overview with some local information.
I cannot replicate this but Chris Lonergan spotted this and posted a screenshot on X - here is his screenshot:
It would not surprise me if Google was testing this. We recently saw Google testing AI Overviews for local queries on the right side of the Google search results and Google local reviews linking to AI Overview summaries.
So this is not out of left field based on those two earlier tests.
No, I am not a fan of this.
Forum discussion at X.
